Kiyo no Mirai
by TheSadhatter
Summary: The Island of Honshu is not the only place in the world with strange happenings involving aliens, time travelers, sliders, and espers. Follow the story of Kiyoshi as he discovers his hidden powers and realizes his role in the universe. A main cast of OC's
1. Chapter 1

My original publication seemed to be glitched so I have opted to re-upload my story.

Please If you enjoy the story, support me with CC and commentary. It motivates me to work!

And as always: The universe and original stories of the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya series belongs to Nagaru Tanigawa. I am only borrowing it for my own pleasure and boredom.

* * *

Book One

The Revelations

Chapter 1

_A Boring, Monotonous, and Entirely Uneventful Day_

You know it's going to be a _good_ day when you wake up with a headache, on a gloomy and foggy morning, with your mom yelling at you for the third time to get up and get ready for the first day back to school. The idea of getting up sounded entirely unappealing and arduous since nothing is as worse in the morning than to leave a warm and cozy bed.

"Come-on Kiyo-chan, you need to get up now or you'll be late! I'm not going to tell you again!" My mom called from the hallway in Japanese.

"I dun wanna." I called back half asleep.

My mom burst into the room and forcefully pulled my futon cover from me. "I know how you feel about school, but that still doesn't mean that you can't go!" she scolded.

"Why do I have to go? It's not like they teach me anything anyway." I grumbled. "Why can't I just work for uncle anyway?"

"If you want to work for my brother you still need to graduate high school!"

Overrun by the onslaught of cold air I had no choice but to surrender myself to the morning. Crawling out of my now ruined bed, I set forth to prepare for the day.

"Kiyo-chan, I'm going ahead. I'm working late at the lab tonight so I made dinner for you in advance."

"Yah, see you later." I mumbled.

As my mom walked out the front door I heard a small exchange of greetings. Moments later I was greeted by my ever grinning friend Hayato.

"Hey Kiyo-chan~!" he beamed, "so's I see that you're ready for school?"

"Don't call me Kiyo-chan." I glared at him.

"Aw, why not?" Hayato teased. "You're mom calls you Kiyo-chan all the time!"

"Yah, that because she's my mom."

"Then can I be your mom?" Hayato said in a mockingly cute way.

"No. Wait outside until I'm ready."

I quickly threw together some warm clothes and grabbed a quick bite to eat. Locking the house up, I met up with Hayato on the street.

"So's you excited to go back to school?"

"As excited as I'm ever going to be." I responded matter-of-factly. I could have honestly cared less.

"That's no attitude for the first day back!" Hayato frowned yet somehow still managed to keep his signature grin. "I mean thinks about all the girls man!" His grin intensified exposing his prominent k-9 teeth.

"Well if anything, you're only gonna attract girls that are into vampires or something with those teeth of yours."

He brought up his arm assuming a 'Count Dracula-esc' pose, "Bleh! I vill suck yours bloods!" we started to laugh, his "S" lisp making it all the more hilarious.

"I don't think you would make a very good vampire, I wouldn't be able to take you seriously." I smiled.

"All's the more reason to be able to gets my victims!" he chuckled. "Well how was the rest of your summer, did yous miss me?"

"Yah this last month was pretty boring." Although that's not to mention the ridiculous amount of déjà vu I had. "But I guess it was alright, how 'bout you?"

"I visited my cousin again and honestly I wish you could have seens where she lives! It's like a palace!"

"Oh really?"

"Yah really!" he laughed, "Massive gardens, servants and they even have their own mountain!"

"And I thought you were rich. Well sounds like fun I guess." I responded genuinely unenthused.

Hayato looked slightly disappointed, "I thought that would have gotten your attention. Guess nots."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Whatevers man, you're just no fun Kiyo!" Hayato pouted. "Heh, well I bet your just jelly… I even got to dress up as a samurai!"

I gave him a quizzical look, "Jelly?"

"Yahs, jelly, like jealous" he jested

"You sound like an idiot." I laughed.

He turned to me, shooting me another beaming grin "Well Kiyo, we gotsta gets you a girlfriend so's you won't be so grumpy all the time!"

"Oh shut up…"

"Seriouslys though, you gots the looks, I don't know why the girls aren't all over yah!"

* * *

The walk down to school didn't take too long as it was all downhill. It would be only on the way back that would be a pain. Hayato and I had agreed to go to Bay Point High, a decent school with a decent reputation. We could have gone to a more preppy private high school but Hayato had said "screw that shits, we would have to deal with stuck up pricks and spoilt brats who talks about fancy cars all the time! I just wants to be with normal people anyways." So with that I found myself in an overcrowded class room with twenty-nine other kids waiting for our homeroom teacher to show up. I recognized about half of the class, most of them where talking about how they spent their summer going here and there. I waited quietly, having no one to talk to because Hayato had different morning classes.

As the bell rung, a tall, husky, and messy blond haired man in his forties entered the room. As I raised my head from my desk I could tell instantly that he was a very warm and easygoing person. With a smile on his face he turned to the class and announced "Hello everyone, I am Mr. Holland! I will be your first period humanities and school advisor. I look forward to a good school year with all of you!" Everyone turned from what they were doing and greeted him in return saying 'good morning Mr. Holland' or 'nice to meet you Mr. H'. We were then assigned our seats and proceeded to introduce ourselves. When it came my turn I introduced myself just as 'Kiyo'. Why you ask? Well it's because I never liked giving my given first name when I came to the states. Whenever I introduced myself as Kiyoshi, people would always butcher the pronunciation and would then result to say "oh like that green dinosaur from Mario?" I became so fed up with it that I gave myself the nickname of 'Kiyo'.

As I finished introducing myself like everyone else had, I looked around at the faces staring at me. They didn't look happy at all, and somehow I wasn't all that surprised. It all started when my mother and I moved here. For some reason everyone hated me (well excluding Hayato and my relatives) because I would get weird looks all the time. I doubted it was racism because of how ethnically mixed everyone is around here. Only moments ago everyone had been smiling and in good spirits, but as soon as my turn came… It was like I was tainted.

"Alright there young lady, it's your turn!"

The girl behind me stood up, or I assumed she did because I didn't hear a single sound of movement. No chair scraping, table wobbling, or the sound of her clothes. Then she spoke in a soft, sweet voice.

"I am Aoi Hirano, pleased to meet you."

And with that she sat down, or at least I assumed she did. I turned around to look at her. She was small, but in a more matured way. Her short black hair was slightly curled and went every which way. Not in a messy and disorderly fashion but was arranged that way naturally. Her eyes were piercing silver, but held a gentle quality to them. She turned her attention to me which made me realize that I had been staring at her. Our eyes met and she gave me a petite smile. "It is nice to meet you; I hope we can be friends." Aoi said quietly. She had taken me completely by surprise.

"Yah, nice to meet you too." I said slightly dumbfounded. I hadn't seen her from the two previous years. I think I would have at least noticed her. She must be new here then, maybe a new exchange student? "You're new here?" I asked.

"Yes." she replied.

Judging by her looks and name I asked, "You're from Japan?"

"Perhaps" She said keeping herself strangely vague. "I am what you can consider alien to this country."

I snorted. "Aren't we all?"

"Perhaps" Aoi smiled.

"You're Kiyoshi right?" I flinched as someone asked. Turing around, I was greeted by the warm smile of Mr. Holland.

"Yes I'm _Kiyoshi_." I responded by correcting his pronunciation of my name. "You can just call me Kiyo, everyone does." Well, if anyone really talked to me _other_ than Hayato and this anomaly siting behind me.

"Sorry, I'll remember to call you Kiyo from now on!" Mr. Holland apologized. "Anyway, I need to talk to you after class. Since we've had major computer problems recently, I need to go over your school transcript to make sure everything is in order." Wow, go figure, something like that would happen here. "It won't take too long and it's better to get these things over with!" Mr. Holland laughed. I gave him a nod of agreement. Mr. Holland gave me a thumbs up and went about the class doing this and that with the other students.

The rest of my afternoon classes were spent with Hayato which went without much incident. It was a miracle that we didn't get chewed out by our teachers for talking and joking around so much. It's always hard to resist from breaking into hysterics after listening to any of Hayato's many anecdotes. Well I guess even the teachers get a kick out of his good natured humor too! As the bell for dismissal rung, I parted ways with Hayato and went to see Mr. Holland. I wish more teachers where like him as he was easygoing and genuine. We got my transcript sorted in no time and I was out in less than ten minutes.

Saying my goodbyes to Mr. Holland I made my way into the hallway. As I gathered my stuff out of my locker I began to notice how eerily quiet the hallways were. I was aware that it was the end of the day and all, but something was awry. There should at least be some activity, namely the janitors or teachers doing their last rounds of work for the day. The only sound I could hear was my own breath and the cries of protest from the hinges of my locker door. I started to make my way towards an exit when someone I hadn't seen before rounded a corner I was absolutely sure nobody could come around. Ok, let me rephrase, some-_thing_ had rounded the corner. It looked like a person, but that would be stretching it. Whatever it was, it was no human. Its body was smooth apart from pulsating lines that divided its body. Its eyes glowed with inhuman light and its skin was pale and deathly. Its stride was unnerving as each step it took seemed to glide over the ground. Apart from its gangly and disturbing appearance it was trying to mimic a female body.

But what was most disturbing overall was its voice.

"So you are the one that they call Pureheart? I expected to find someone more imposing." Its sweet voice sung.

I was paralyzed with fear. This couldn't be happening right? This has to be a dream! I'm still in class with Hayato right!?

"What a pity. I was hoping for more of a fight, but I guess it doesn't matter as long as I kill you right?" the _thing_ manically smirked. Without as much of a sound it lunged at me with unbelievable speed. I somehow was able to doge its first attack escaping with a flesh wound. But as I desperately tried to get up I found myself unable to move. "I'm sorry but I'm not going to take any chances. With the profile you have, I just want to get this over with." It said soothingly. Raising its right arm its hand grotesquely grew into a scythe. I gasped, my eyes wide and on the verge of tears. "Aww, don't worry; once I behead you, you will only be conscious for six seconds afterwards." The thing chortled.

_This is it isn't it? This is real and I really am going to die!_

As it brought its weight down on me a flash of light severed the thing's scything talon at the elbow. The severed arm flailed in the air a few times until it impaled itself in the ground unpleasantly close to my head. Surprised, the thing backed off without a single trace of pain or discomfort.

"Oh how foolish of me to forget. No wonder you are so hard to kill." The thing said looking a little upset with itself. "It's all because of your little pet bitch!" The thing turned its attention away from me. "Why do you protect him so avidly? Look at him, he is just a pathetic meat sack! And you call him your master, that mere human, how disgusting! No matter I will just have to destroy bo-" Before it could say anything more the thing merely blew apart in a flash of sickly purple ichor.

"Target neutralized." My savior let out a sigh. "If you are going to kill us, it would have been better if you had refrained from going into monologue." The girl turned towards me and offered her hand. "You should get up."

Realizing that I could move freely again I got up with her help. I couldn't believe my eyes as I stared at the girl in front of me.

_Aoi?_

"I wished for us to get to know each other through more normal means, but we do not have the time for formalities." Aoi spoke calmly.

Words could not describe how shocked I was.

"You are hurt, I will assist you." I hadn't noticed but my left side was bleeding quite a bit. I flinched slightly as Aoi put her hand on my wound. Within moments not only had my injury healed, but my clothes were mended as well.

"W-what just happened?" I said finally finding my voice again. "What the hell is going on?!"

"Please stay calm and try to act normal." She grabbed my arm and began to lead us down the hall. "I'm transferring us out of data jurisdiction and back to real space." Suddenly, like a lifting fog, I could tell that the area around me was back to normal. I could hear people and there was activity all throughout the school. Looking back to where Aoi had just annihilated that thing, all traces of its existence had vanished.

"What just happened Aoi? What the hell just happened!?" Yah, stay calm my ass.

"Please, I will explain everything to you once I transfer you home. Just try to relax."

"No, no, NO! I need- I need answers right now!" great job idiot, you're officially panicking now. We were clearly grabbing attention from the looks we were getting. Before I got any worse Aoi pulled me into an empty classroom and closed the door behind us.

"Very well, if you promise to lower you heart rate and return to a stable mental state."

"Who are you? Wait never mind that, I should really say 'what are you' because frankly some-thing just tried to lop of my head and you fucking just blew the SHIT out of it without even trying!"

"Will you please just calm dow-"

"No I'm sorry, but I don't think I can stay calm right now!" I cut her off. "I just need answers." I looked at her sternly.

Aoi simply nodded and began to explain. "I know a lot about you, my job is to observe and monitor you as you are a person of interest to my superiors. You hold a very special power that a very select few possess. Since certain events have escalated beyond the projected data stimuli of the primary subject of interest, you have become a target of several opposing factions to my own." I couldn't believe what I was hearing; let alone I was barely able to follow in my current mental state. "In addition to protecting you I have been instructed by my superiors to…" there was a slight pause as Aoi broke eye contact and looked down for a moment. Her expression had been blank and very hard to read, but I had sensed the sincerity and softness I had seen earlier that morning. "…prepare you for the possibility of earth shattering events."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing!

"You have a destiny, and I am here to guide you."

* * *

The walk home was very quiet. Having calmed down I agreed to have Aoi over at my house so we could talk in private. She walked silently behind me, both of her hands clasped around the strap of her school bag. I took the time to look at what she was wearing, having missed that detail from that morning. She wore a gradated orange T-shirt with very short sleeves that slightly puffed out at the shoulders. Over that she had a dark brown jacket vest that sported a hood and was lined with fake fur. She wore a layered white skirt which just went above her knees. For her feet she sported gladiator styled sandals that matched in color with her skirt.

"Aren't you cold?" I said, breaking the silence between us since leaving the classroom. "I mean, it's been overcast the entire day."

"The weather does not bother me" she responded flatly.

"Oh really…" I sighed, so much for some sort of light conversation to get my mind off of things.

"I'm home." I said quietly to no one in particular as I opened the door to my house. We took off our shoes since we still practiced the Japanese custom of having no outdoor shoes in the house. I showed Aoi to the living room and proceeded to the kitchen to make some tea.

"Well this is a way to end the first day of school." I said as I passed a tea cup to my guest.

Aoi sat quietly and began sipping her tea.

"Alright" I grunted taking a seat, "I guess we can continue."

Aoi rested her cup on the table and took in a calming breath. "As I have already stated I have been assigned to observe and monitor you as a person of interest to my superiors. You hold a very special power that a very select few possess. My task now is to prepare you for the possibility of earth shattering events."

"And what might be these 'earth shattering events' you speak of?"

"That… I am unable to tell you."

"Well that doesn't really help me does it now?" I said frustrated.

"Ever since the time-quake," Aoi continued "your latent ability of data manipulation had been unconsciously activated."

"Time-quake?"

"It was an event which caught the attention of my superiors and brought us to earth three years ago. We are currently in the process of analyzing and observing anything that is related and has been affected by this Time-quake. From what data we have gathered it has been the cause of the emergence of espers and a limiting factor on time travel."

Wow, wow, slow down there computer lady, what about espers and time-travel now?

"This event was also the cause of your recovery from the disaster which occurred three years prior to the Time-quake."

"What do you mean by….?" I stopped, realizing what Aoi was alluding to.

"I am referring to the incident six years ago in which you suffered massive head trauma from a near fatal injury." Aoi said with a quiet and careful voice. "You had sustained massive trauma to your Occipital Lobe. You should not be able to see at all; in fact you are still blind."

"_What?"_

"However since you are able to manipulate data, you have been able to regain the ability to see. Physically, your Occipital Lobe had been destroyed, but your will prevailed. You willed yourself to be able to see again."

"Well, what do you mean by data manipulation anyway?" I asked trying to take my mind off of the past.

"You have the ability to manipulate the data around you; in your own words you may even call yourself a psyker."

I held my tea cup in both hands, listing intently.

"Two years ago you had an incident where you began to understand and talk to animals. Doctors later diagnosed you as having psychological trauma and believed that your mind was trying to cope. You took their medicines and suppressed the ability to converse with animals. The truth is, it was not trauma, but you had the ability to converse telepathically with them."

Now that was a weird experience and I couldn't deny that happened…

"In the same year, you had an incident where all of your electronics blew out after you had a fit of rage."

I thought that we just had a really bad power surge…

"Most strangers you encounter find you hard to be around."

Yah, what of it?

"They do not understand you. Subconsciously people can detect that you are different. That is why they shun you. You are an enigma in which they respond with hostility."

"Enough," I brought up my hand "who are you exactly_?_"

"I am a humanoid interface under the control of the Data Integration Thought Entity. I am not from this world and am what you would consider, _alien_."

I couldn't respond. We both sat quietly for a while giving me a moment to relax. "W-would you like more tea?" I managed to get out.

"Yes, thank you" she said softly.

As I went to refresh our cups she began to talk.

"Opposing factions to our own are after you; they know of your powers and will exploit you or most likely destroy you if you are not prepared. That is why you were attacked; to them you are too dangerous to be left alone to live."

"Well even if you say that, aren't you trying to exploit me for your superior's benefit?" I questioned as I reseated myself.

"You may say that of us, but we have no intention of harming you. I am here to prepare you for the inevitable… I am here to protect you."

"Can you prove to me that I have these 'data manipulation' powers?" I asked.

"I will show you." Aoi stood up and walked over to where I was sitting. She slowly reached out with her right hand. "Relax" she breathed and placed her palm to my temple. Aoi's mouth began to move rapidly, uttering inhuman, electrical sounds. Time seemed to stand still as the living room proceeded to break apart into a stream of small iridescent blue hexes. Almost instantaneously a floor made up of the same data hexes formed around us, locking into place piece by piece. As the last remnants of the living room broke away I found myself sitting in dark and vast space.

Even after all I had been through that afternoon, rather than terrified as I should have been, I was completely amazed. "This is awesome." I said to myself. Standing up I took a look around. Lines of what looked like code steamed in every direction, illuminating the space. Surrounding me were towers made up the same hexes that had formed the floor. Each tower shifted ever so often; releasing beams of light that would travel up to an unfathomable distance.

"What is this place?"

"We are currently in a Data Plume, one of many billions of data hubs that surround this planet." Her voice echoed with an electrical ring.

"What do you mean by 'data' anyway?"

"To our understanding, data makes up existence; it is both energy and information and is the bases of physical reality and sentient life."

"Unbelievable…"

"Your mind is completely free in this current space." Aoi's electrical voice rang. "Try to manipulate the data around you and create something."

As I had been so taken in by my surroundings I failed to notice Aoi standing next to me. I was drawn in to what I saw. Her dark hair glowed with a soft, feathery light blue. Her eyes shown with a cool sliver with such depth that anyone could get lost in them. Looking closely I saw that her irises were laced with silken green lines which pulsed in various circuits.

"Hold out your hand, palm up." I broke out of my trance, realizing that I had been staring again, I quickly compiled. "Try to create something simple first, for example a ball."

"How would I go about doing that?" I asked.

"Your hand."

"Right…" I brought my hand up as she had instructed.

"Convince yourself that you currently have a ball in your hand."

"But I don't…" I began but stopped as Aoi just stared me down. "Alright, I'll give it a shot." I closed my eyes and took a slow and deep breath.

"Excellent, open your eyes."

I opened my eyes, catching the last moments of materialization as a cloud of blue pixels wisped away. I smiled as I closed my grip around the ball.

"So you're some sort of computer?" I continued to question her.

"A Humanoid Interface." Aoi corrected.

"Right, a Humanoid Interface… under the control of the Data Integration Thought Entity?"

"Yes."

"What is this 'Entity' by the way? Does it have a name?"

"No, it has no personal name. The Data Integration Thought Entity is a conglomerate of what I can only describe to you as sentient data."

"So it's like a hive mind?" That didn't really paint a pretty picture in my head….

"Yes."

"And because of my said powers, I am an interest to your master?"

"Yes, since three years ago."

"But why are you telling me now and not three years ago?"

"Because you were labeled as a secondary interest, we saw no benefit in interfering unless deemed necessary."

"And now it's necessary because I'm a target?"

"Partially." Aoi took a moment to think. "To my understanding, since the start of the April there has been a drastic increase in data fluctuations. These data fluctuations have been sporadic and unpredictable. In response to these recent events, the Data Integration Thought Entity issued me to activate you."

"Activate me?"

"The Overmind believes that there is an off chance a world changing event might occur. The Overmind also understands that you will be able to correct any errors in our current time-plane if they do occur. "

"So in other words, I'm a tool for your master to use." I said unhappy at that realization.

"I didn't mean it in that way." Aoi said crestfallen.

"So why should I trust you?" I pushed on. "Why should I trust that Overmind of yours, doesn't this mean that you are just going to use me?"

"We have no ill intentions, or rather we would regret if you were to fall into the hands of questionable and radical factions..." She answered me honestly. "Our goal is to observe and collect data from your planet in pursuit for achieving auto-evolution. We have no intention to tamper with our current reality. We wish to preserve the status quo and I wish to protect you from harm."

"I see." I left it at that. It was hard to question the sincerity that Aoi was currently projecting.

"Do you wish for more explanations regarding your abilities?" Aoi asked.

"What can you tell me?" I looked at her curiously.

"Your abilities rely solely on what your species perceives as an imagination. Anything that you can imagine can be created."

"So 'the sky's the limit' so to speak?"

"In a sense." Aoi began to elaborate. "If you are referring to scale, if you create something greater than a meter cubed, not only will you exhaust yourself, but whatever you are manipulating will become unstable and collapse. This also applies to mass. The greater the mass, the more energy you will need to sustain the object. In addition, anything you create will deteriorate over time."

"And how long would that be?"

"The longest projected time is within an earth day."

"Well so much for having a vault of gold." I said jokingly

Unimpressed by my material desires Aoi continued to explain. "You cannot create separate dimensions nor travel to them. You cannot time travel. You are not immortal and your powers rely on your health and physical condition. However, aside from your limitations your abilities permit you to project your subconscious into others. You can read the thoughts of others within various levels of the conscious and subconscious. You have a strong perception and can detect minute details. In addition your mind has defensive and offensive capabilities."

"And what might that mean?"

"For instance you can project psychic shields, heal minor injuries or use offensive abilities like mind rend."

"Mind, _rend?_"

"To tear, split apart into pieces violently." Aoi said with indifference.

"I doubt that I would have to use something like that!" I laughed nervously.

"That is yet to be seen." The air around us turned unpleasantly ominous. "However, I too hope that such ability should never have to be used." Aoi turned her head away from me.

I could sense a sort of sadness from her. Looking back at me, I could clearly see that her eyes carried a great burden.

"Can you give me one of your arms?" Aoi asked me unexpectedly.

"Uh, ok." I said unsure of what to expect as I offered my right arm.

"This may be slightly uncomfortable." She warned me as she took ahold of my arm with both of her hands. Before I knew what was going on, Aoi gently bit into my forearm. It stung slightly, but that was about it. After a few seconds Aoi let go of my arm.

"What was that for?" I asked as I rubbed where she bit me.

"I injected nanites into you which should help you control your abilities in real space." She gave me a tiny smile and nodded. "Today's goals have been fulfilled; now you must rest. I will return us to real space." She turned around and proceeded to walk away from me. Her tread was as light as ever, almost as if she were gliding. "We will continue with preparations in three days' time, speak of this to no one. I will see you tomorrow."

Before I could say anything more, the area around me proceeded to de-res, piece by piece. It took me a moment to realize I was back in my living room alone. As a calm silence filled the air, I stayed in place for a while. My hands clenched around the red rubber ball.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_An Unexpected Realization_

I brought my hand up and looked at the red rubber ball I had created. My hand was shaking uncontrollably, clearly the shock was caching up to me; the craziness of it all was absurd! Then, when I lest expected to, I started to smile. When I should have felt lost, when I should have felt fear, I smiled. It was something that I hadn't felt for ages, something that not even Hayato was able to bring out in me. It was genuine, it was pure. I was excited! It was a childhood dream come true and to think that I am actually one of them! In the surge of excitement I noticed something crinkle in my right hand. Pocketing the red ball safely away, I inspected the mysterious object which had found its way into my possession. Folding out the creases that I had unintentionally caused I discovered that it was a small note. Written neatly inside was simple message and ten digit number. _If you need me._ Blinking I realized that Aoi must have slipped it to me right before she left.

I stumbled my way into the garage with unrestrained enthusiasm. With my mom gone, the garage space was perfect for experimenting. I positioned myself in the center of the room and took up a prepared stance. Bringing up my hand, I decided to try and change the color of the ball. Letting the ball rest on my palm, I took in a deep breath and I began to concentrate. To my astonishment and utter surprise, within a blink of an eye, I had changed the ball from red to white! At that point I was completely ecstatic by my sudden and swift success. "Now let's see what I can really do." Taking in another breath I raised my hand again. Without any effort the white ball vaporized into a brilliant azure flame. The intensity of the fire had taken me off guard. Then, before I knew it the pain kicked in. In a fit of desperation I summoned a torrent of water with my other hand and dowsed the blaze. Clutching my badly scorched hand I collapsed onto the now completely drenched floor. Cursing wildly, I had not considered protecting my hand from the flame. Before I risked from passing out from the unbearable pain I clasped my burnt hand. The pain slowly subsided as my wounded hand began to regenerate. I let out a sigh of relief, thankful that I was able to conjure up a healing ability. "Now that was a close call…"

After a moment of respite I got back onto my feet. Soaked from head to toe, I surveyed the damage. It was clear that I had completely drenched the garage space with water. Undeterred I re-took my ready stance in the center of the room. Tucking in my arms I drew in a deep and long breath, filling my lungs to maximum capacity. With one swift thought I transferred my energy outwards, emitting a blast of warm air. The water around me quickly turned to gas. Turning my arms around me I began to absorb the water vapor into my body. Within moments the room was clear.

Satisfied with my results I turned my attention to an old lamp which sat on one of the far shelves. Outstretching my hand I pictured pulling the lamp towards me. In an instant the lamp shot at me, tumbling violently. In a feat of dexterity, I managed to fortify my hand just before contact. With a satisfying impact I confidently caught the lamp. It was truly an epic moment, almost as if the gods themselves had sent an anointed weapon for me to wield! With that thought a spark of inspiration ignited within me. In a surge of light, the lamp began to morph. Piece by piece the lamp broke apart into the same hexes I had observed in the Data Plume. Within a few seconds the hexes reformed into a simple, yet elegant recurved sword. The material was light, yet durable and was balanced to my basic understanding. The hilt was a hand-and-a-half and the blade measured slightly past the length of my arm. As I tapped the head of the blade on the floor, I was greeted by a soft harmonic ring, yet found that I had not felt a single vibration through my hand. I tried again with greater force. Bringing the sword above my head, I put all of my weight on the downward arc. Not only had the force of impact been completely absorbed, I had lodged the blade two inches into the solid concrete floor! Bracing myself I tried to dislodge the head from the ground, but it was no use. Even with both hands the sword would not budge.

Taking a step back, I recollected myself. Brute strength wouldn't solve this. With my right hand I took ahold of the hilt once more, channeling my energy into the blade. It began to glow a very soft red, and with that I was able to pull it out of the ground with a slight tug. I looked at the gash in the concrete floor and let out a sigh. How the hell am I going to explain _that_ to mom? As I deconstructed the blade back to its original form my vision started to darken, almost if someone had dimmed the lights. Puzzled, I tried to shake it off, but my vision remained affected. Beginning to lose balance I was forced onto my knees, then to all fours. Before I knew it I was out cold.

* * *

I was mesmerized by the sunset. Watching a pair of crows fly away across the river I could hear the five pm chime in the distance. The grass by the water was framed in a beautiful light, the gentle wind braking waves across a green sea. Today had been a good day and I felt happy that I had been with my friends. And what was even better was that dad would be home today! I wonder if he brought something back from his trip for me? Not wanting to wait any longer I started to run home. I haven't seen him in such a long time; it's felt like years since I last saw him!

But why did my house have to be so far away? No matter how far I go, the river just seems to go on forever! Twilight quickly greeted me and the air began to cool. I doubled my efforts at the thought of being scolded for returning home late. At this rate I won't make it back before dark. Exhausted from running I decided to stop and rest for a moment. The air was cold and unsettling, heavily contrasting from the warm weather I had felt not moments ago. Caught in the light of a pale moon, the path continued to stretch ever further. Everything was quiet, not a single sound could be heard apart from my breath and beating heart. I could not hear the wind or the earth. Nor could I hear the frogs croak or the insects chirp. The rice stalks that had once flowed with life stood motionless, as if in anticipation.

Suddenly the moonlight disappeared, replaced by a single ominous aura far in front of me. As I stared at the only source of light I noticed that it was coming closer. It did not take long until I started to make out its form. With each silent step it took towards me, its disproportioned features became clearer and clearer. Nothing could describe the horror and utter helplessness I had felt staring wide eyed at the daemon before me. My eyes burned with fear as its eyes fixated on mine.

"Pureheart, why are you afraid of the dark?" The daemon said with the most soothing voice I could have ever imagined. It brought its face down to mine, so close that our noses where almost touching. The daemon smelled of sweet flowers and I could feel the warmth of its body. Light flowed and wisped from its scalp like hair, which was strangely alluring. Yet its eyes betrayed any sort of reassurance or comfort. Its form was corrupt and altered, which only added to my confusion and terror. The contradicting feelings where overwhelming. I could not move a single inch, nor could I break away from its deathly gaze. "Is it the realization of how insignificant you really are? Is it the fear of the unknown?" The daemon smiled, its breath smelled of death. "Or…" it paused as if it finally understood "…is it because you are afraid of being left alone?" it purred in my ears.

To my surprise I spoke out involuntarily "W-what are y-you?" my younger voice faltered in fear.

Its right arm grew into a talon and with one swift thrust pierced my heart. Its eyes stared into mine as I gasped in surprise. Revealing its pearly white teeth it smiled "You can call me Pale."

Clutching my chest, I shot up into a sitting position rather violently. Winded, it took a moment for me to recover my breath.

"Are you alright?"

I exclaimed in surprise when I discovered that I was not alone.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'" the stranger said as he crouched right next to me. "You must have had an awful dream." he said giving me a peculiar smile. "You really had me worried there. It would have been a shame to have lost you so soon." I tried to back away from him, but my muscles failed me. "Relax; I'm not here to kill you Kiyo." the stranger showed his hands in a peaceful gesture. "In fact, killing you would be rather disadvantageous."

Even if you say that I don't know who the hell you are! "Who are you and what do you want from me?"

"I am a friend." He replied. "And I simply wish to talk to you."

Whoever he was there was no way I could fight him in my current condition. I had no other choice but to trust his word.

"Where am I?" My senses were still shaken from the nightmare. What had I even been doing?

"We are in your garage. You passed out from over exerting yourself. Try not to be so careless next time Kiyo. You owe me."

Oh right… I was experimenting with my abilities. But what did he mean by saying I owe him? His ambiguity was not helping one bit. I couldn't help but feel uneasy around him. "You know my name," I frowned, "yet you won't tell me yours."

"Yes, how rude of me." He offered me a hand. "You can call me Tsuji."

Tsuji had a presence about him and I was rather impressed with how he was dressed. He wore a very expensive looking red pinstripe two piece suit with a crimson dress shirt and white tie. He was barely taller than me and it appeared that we were the same age. His hair was a very dark shade of orange and his face was, well I should say handsome and I am not afraid to say that. He had a good face, but what I found most striking about his countenance was his jade green eyes. I had never seen anything quite like his before, at least on a human. Yet there was something different about his eyes. They looked unnatural and calculating.

Taking his hand Tsuji helped me onto my feet. I managed to stand, but my body was still weak. Thankfully Tsuji didn't appear to be some daemonic creature, but it was obvious that he was not an ordinary human. Something was clearly different about him.

"You're not _normal_ are you?" I asked.

"I guess you can say that." He continued to give me that peculiar smile of his. "And I can say the same for you too Kiyo."

"So, what are you?"

"I am a Time Traveler." Tsuji said simply. "But unlike your alien friend I'm just an ordinary human with an extraordinary set of skills."

I was surprised, "You know Aoi?" she hadn't mentioned anything about Tsuji.

"Yes I do. We share a sort of colleagueship if you could call it that." Tsuji shrugged. "There had not been a need to work together until recently. Four months ago, we had only been trading information. But a lot has happened since then."

"I see." I felt slightly relieved to know that Aoi had worked with Tsuji before.

"Anyway," Tsuji cleared his throat, "that is beside the point. I am here because I need your help Kiyo."

"And what might that be?" I asked, curious to know what a time traveler might want from me.

"I have a mission which is vital to the stability to our current timeline. It is a simple task, but it can only be completed by you Kiyo."

Wait what? How can 'a mission which is vital to the stability to our current timeline' be a simple task? And on top of that why does the success have to rely on me? Oh whatever. "What will I have to do?"

What Tsuji said next stunned me. "I have no idea."

"What do you mean you have no idea?!" I said getting rather upset.

"Yes I apologize." Tsuji laughed casually, clearly finding my frustration amusing. "Unfortunately I cannot tell you the specifics of our assignment." he explained. "I work on a need to know basis as a precautionary measure."

There has to be something you can tell me. There is no way you could possibly 'have no idea'! "Is there anything you can tell me?"

"All I know is that Miss Hirano should have you prepared by Friday." Tsuji inspected his wristwatch. "I wish I can stay and talk more, but it seems that we are out of time."

Hey, wait a minute!

"Oh I almost forgot." Tsuji paused as he began to walk away from me. "Miss Hirano may have stopped her for now, but do not underestimate Pale."

"Wait, who?" I said in horror at the mention of that name.

"I'll see you Friday." Tsuji turned and gave me a small bow. "It has been a pleasure to meet you _Pureheart_." Then with a loud crack and a rush of air Tsuji disappeared instantly before my eyes.

* * *

'Click, click.'

As I sat in my living room with Hayato the only thing I could think about was yesterday.

'Click, click, click, thump, click, click.'

Today had gone by at an agonizingly slow pace, but at least it was over.

_Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap!_

Maybe I should have talked to Aoi…

"YO, Kiyo! Hey, you there buddy?"

"Hmmm?" I looked at Hayato lazily.

"I died, it's your turn." Hayato handed the controller to me. He let out an anguished sigh. "Damnit! This is just too freaking hard!"

I brought my attention back to the real world, as if waking from a vivid dream.

As I took the controller from his hands Hayato gave me a look of concern, "Your heads been in the clouds alls day Kiyo, you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine." I mumbled out.

Hayato eyed me silently, obviously aware that something was awry. However he decided not to pursue further, "If yous says so."

But he was right; I wasn't exactly fine. My encounter with Tsuji had been an unsettling experience. It was impossible to take my mind off of it. Unlike Aoi, my immediate impression of Tsuji had been negative. There was no denying that he was a slippery character. His smile alone was more than enough to justify my mistrust in him.

"Kiyo?"

Tsuji had been ambiguous during our whole conversation. He said he was a time traveler, but said nothing more. He said he knew Aoi, but for vague reasons. And he told me he needed my help for 'a mission which is vital to the current stability of our timeline', yet he couldn't tell me the details. How did he expect me to trust him? It was obvious that Tsuji knew more than he let on. Then again, couldn't I say the same thing about Aoi? I had found it easy to trust her right away, but wasn't she as dangerous as that time traveler? Isn't she also withholding information from me? And she said it herself, I was meant to be used as a tool for her Overmind's purpose. Then why did I trust her?

"Yo, Kiyo."

Then there was the nightmare….

"Hey, Kiyo?"

And why did they call me _Pureheart?_

"Kiyo!"

"What?"

"What do you mean 'what'? You're staring at the screen."

Coming back to my senses once again I realized that I had stopped playing.

"Are you sure you're alrights Kiyo?"

I rubbed my eyes, my skull felt numb and my mind was a daze of scattered thoughts.

Making up his mind Hayato decided to head home. "I'll get going so you can rests. You look exhausted." With a warm smile Hayato gave me a reassuring slap on the back. "I'll see you tomorrow." Getting up I followed Hayato to the door to see him out. I tried to give a smile in return, but it was forced. With Hayato disappearing from my view I threw myself onto the couch and let out a long sigh. With my eyelids beginning to feel heavy, I let myself be taken away by my thoughts once more.

* * *

Looking out into the great expanse I could see the blue blades of grass sway with the wind, making lazy waves like a calm sea. Not knowing how I got here, or really cared why, I decided to lie down on one of the myriad of rolling hills. With my hands behind my head I let myself become lost in depths of the sky. As I took in a deep breath, the air smelt sweet and refreshing. I could see the sun starting its slow decent into the horizon. As the evening's light washed the landscape in a warm glow I couldn't help but feel melancholic.

"Hello" said a soft and familiar voice.

Glancing over to my left I saw Aoi take a place beside me, propping herself up with her arms behind her. Her white summer dress made her look delicate and fragile and her hair moved with alluring beauty, almost as if it was flowing gently under water.

It didn't take me long to understand where I was. "This is a dream isn't it?"

Aoi simply nodded her head in confirmation.

"And you're real?"

Aoi nodded again, this time with a smile. "Yes, I'm real."

I ran my hands through the soft grass. It was hard to believe that this was all just a dream. "Well, since you're here, I can assume that you're here to prepare me for tomorrow."

Aoi nodded once more, however her smile quickly faded away.

"And is it safe to say that you know Tsuji?"

"Yes, I know the Time Traveler."

"And this mission?"

"It is vital to the stability of our current timeline and your own personal growth."

"And if I don't go?"

"Then our enemies will be successful and the world as we know it will no longer exist."

I let out a sigh, "I guess I don't really have a choice do I?"

"I'm sorry it had to be like this. I thought we would have more time, but I underestimated them." Aoi wrapped her arms around her knees, her expression turning into a look of anguish. "I underestimated her." She admitted. "I almost killed you."

"Wait what do you mean…?" I recalled what Tsuji had said before he had disappeared. As the realization hit me, I couldn't help but feel terrified. The thought sent shivers down my spine. "You don't mean that thing almost killed me again?" My chest ached as I recalled the final moments of the nightmare. "It's going after me because of this mission. It's trying to stop me."

Aoi brought her legs in closer. "Pale, I thought I destroyed her the first time. I even made sure as we translated out of the closed space to purge any residual data." She said muffling herself against her knees. "But she somehow survived. If it wasn't for the Time Traveler she would have killed you. I should have been more careful, I should've known better!"

I quickly regained my composure. "But I'm alive aren't I?" I said sitting up. I might have almost been killed a second time within the same day, but there was no point to be so hung over it! "Don't hate yourself for something you had no control over. What matters now is for me to be ready for tomorrow." If what Aoi said about me was true, about the extent of my abilities, then I should be able to defeat Pale. It would only be a matter of learning how.

Aoi lightened up a little. "Alright." It was strange to see Aoi display such strong emotions. The way she talked, the way she acted was noticeably different from the Aoi I had only met a day ago. If anything, Aoi was more human here.

"So what do we have to do?"

"I will teach you how to use Data Projection."

"Data Projection?"

Aoi let herself fall next to me and began to explain. "Data Projection is where you can enter minds of other beings. It's hard to explain, but figuratively you are still connected to your own body when you link your conscious to the host. In this case you are the host and I am projecting my conscious into yours while you are sleeping. That is why we are sharing the same dream right now. There are also different levels to data projection such as reading minds and surface thoughts. I'll teach you everything there is to know in preparation for your mission."

"But what about learning how to fight, shouldn't I prepare for that?"

"With the little time we have Data Projection is the best skill I can teach you. Know that knowledge is power and that it can be used to avoid direct confrontation if the situation arises. That is why I will teach you Data Projection." Well that's fair enough.

"Do you think I'll be ready?"

Aoi answered without pause, "I have no doubt in my mind you will be ready." She looked confidently into my eyes. "If there is anything that I have learned," She said as if she was recollecting a fond memory, "I know that you are always able to pull through, no matter what."

Although I was slightly confused by what she had said, Aoi's conviction in me was encouraging.

"I never expected for you to trust me as easily as you have." Aoi said with a smile on her face. "It makes me happy to know that you do."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_Bamboo Leaf Nocturne_

To my relief Friday had gone by with ease. Despite the uncertainty of things and the threat that Pale posed I felt confident that I would pull through all of this. As I prepared to head home I noticed someone briskly walking towards me. Recognizing Aoi I greeted her, "Hey, what's up?"

Without a word Aoi grabbed one of my arms. Delicately she placed something in my hand and closed my fingers around the object. Stepping back she waited for me to answer.

"What's this?" I asked as I looked at what Aoi had given me.

"A gift."

"Well, I can see that, but what is it?"

"A Multi-Purpose Data-Synchronous Chronometer." Aoi flatly stated. "Since I was unable to give it to you last night I thought I would give it to you before you departed this afternoon. It will help you on your journey."

The pocket watch was a beautiful sterling silver attached to a chain. Fitting nicely in my palm, the watch felt light, yet durable in my hand. Inside you could see that it was meticulously crafted both mechanically and aesthetically. The hands snapped with such dutiful precision and pride it would easily make any craftsman jealous.

"That button there will activate the user interface. It can serve as a personal computer and communications device." Aoi pointed out. "The second one will enable you to move freely in and out of closed space. The third switch is a discreet mode which will make it so that only essential information will be displayed when you access the UI. In addition I went through precautions to make sure that you are the only one who can access these functions."

"Thanks Aoi." I didn't really know what to say.

"You do not need to thank me. Just remember what you have learned and…." For a moment Aoi paused. "…In human terms, trust your gut."

Well put Aoi, well put.

"I will await your return."

* * *

Not bothering to put on any sandals or shoes I stepped outside barefoot into the backyard. I could feel the warmth of the earth after it had the whole day to bake in the sun. Taking in a deep breath, the air felt fresh and invigorating as it began to cool off. The smell of vegetation and flowers made for a pleasant atmosphere as I let myself get lost in the sweet and calming sounds of the trees gently rustling in afternoon breeze.

"Sorry to have kept you long." I heard a voice say from behind me. As I turned around I found myself face to face with Tsuji, his peculiar smile still plastered on his face. Startled by his sudden and rather uncomfortable arrival I quickly distanced myself from him. "Good evening Kiyo." Tsuji said with a laugh, obviously amused by my reaction. Tsuji had changed into more casual attire since the last time we met. He simply wore a dark gray V-neck paired with knee-length crimson shorts, a white roped-belt, and brown deck-shoes.

"I can assume that Miss Hirano was able to prepare you in time?" Tsuji asked.

Well it's not like I had a choice to fail but, "Yes, we managed somehow." I even made sure to get myself acquainted with my new 'watch'.

"Excellent." Tsuji said, clapping his hands together in approval. "Then I believe we can proceed as planned." Before I had time to react Tsuji quickly grabbed both of my hands and pulled me forward. "I suggest closing your eyes." Tsuji said into my ear. With a great blast of energy it felt as if the world began to spin as we were quickly engulfed into a bright light.

* * *

Completely disorientated and on the verge of passing out, I fell onto all fours. What I had just witnessed, let alone experienced, was indescribable. Everything was a blur; I didn't know where I was or what was around me. My ears were ringing violently and there was a strong metallic taste in my mouth.

"I think I'm going to throw up." I gasped. "What did you do Tsuij!?"

There was no response.

"Hey! Tsuji?"

Still no response.

"This isn't funny Tsuji!"

As I franticly looked around, I found myself to be completely alone.

"Where are you?!"

Half blind, shell-shocked and alone, I found myself to be in the middle of an isolated park, somewhere in an urban neighborhood. Tsuji must have teleported me here as he grabbed me, but why had he disappeared? Was that part of his plan or had something gone completely wrong?

It was dark out, but the air was still warm despite the current time. The surrounding area was quiet, and for some reason felt vaguely familiar. As my breathing recovered and my vision slowly cleared, I managed to get onto my feet.

Suddenly I heard rustling from behind me. Turning around I saw a young boy appear out the foliage.

Surprised, the boy responded, "Who the hell are you?"

"I should be the one saying that." I said, equally surprised that he had talked to me in Japanese.

"You're not some weirdo are you?" he asked, backing off slightly.

"Who you calling a weirdo kid? Aint it a little late for you to be out anyway?"

"Does that matter?"

"Well if you're worried about running into 'weirdos,' then yah, I think it does matter." I retorted.

"You have a point. "The boy gave me a frustrated look. "But you're not a weirdo right?"

Placing my hand to my forehead, I let out a sigh. "No, I am not a weirdo and I'm not going to do anything to you. The last thing I want to do right now is to get into trouble."

Walking over to me, me I could see that the boy was carrying a ridiculous amount of things. He had several different bags slung over his shoulders. Attached by a metal clip, a water bottle swung from his backpack. On his belt he had tied a portable radio to his waist. His clothes were simple, a plain t-shirt, cargo shorts and tennis shoes. His hair was messy in way where you could tell that he didn't really care how it looked like. Overall he just looked like a normal kid.

He looked me up and down, "What happened to your shoes?"

Looking down, I had completely forgotten that I was barefoot. Quickly I came up with an excuse, "My friend pulled a prank on me." I let out a sigh; I couldn't tell him the truth could I?

"_Ah so-_?" the boy said, giving me a leveled stare. "So he ditched you huh, not much of a friend is he?" he said with a laugh. "Were you guys out drinking or something, cuz you look awful."

"You could say that." I said rubbing my neck. I still felt dazed.

"You seem like a nice guy." The boy decided. "Anyway, since you're here you wanna help me?"

"Uh, sure." I said with a shrug.

"Alright" the boy smiled. Unshouldering his equipment, he handed me a bag, "Take that and set it up over there."

Taking the large canvas bag from his hands I took it over to where he wanted me to set up. "What is it? It's pretty heavy." I asked.

"It's a telescope!" The boy said proudly.

Unzipping the bag, for just a moment, a sense of overwhelming nostalgia rushed over me.

"I wonder if I can find a comet." The boy wondered as he looked up into the starry night sky.

Taking the parts I started to assemble the telescope for the kid. "You might get lucky; I know I'm just saying this, but looks like a good night for it."

"You think so?" he said with excitement in his eyes. "Have you seen one before?"

"Multiple times, but it's been a while." I locked the last piece of the telescope together. "There, finished."

"Thanks." The boy handed me something else. "Here, you want one?"

I took the skinny can of soda he offered "Sure, I'll take one." Cracking the can open, I sat down in the grass and started downing the drink. I hadn't realized how thirsty I was.

The boy unstrapped his radio from his belt and placed it next to the telescope. Turning the radio on, he began surfing through the frequencies. Finally, finding a station he liked, he proceeded to adjust the antenna. Static buzzed the air. After a few moments the radio cleared up.

"_Hello listeners. Thanks for tuning onto Sakura FM 78.7. it's another gorgeous night here in Nishinomiya, a perfect night for Tanabata don't you think? I hope that everyone out there is having a good night and that your wishes will be heard tonight…."_

I took my watch out from my pocket and flipped it open. Toggling it onto discreet mode I brought up the display. It read:

DATE: 7th of July, 1998. TIME: 20:59. LOC: Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. TEMP: 18C. DATAFLUX: Nominal.

"…_It's been a tough three years and we have all come a long way to recover. But I believe everyone's hard work has paid off…."_

Out of all places I could end up, _Nishinomiya_? I haven't been this close to home in _five years_. Tsuji what the hell were you up to?

"…_Next up is a piece from a local band. The time is 9p.m."_

* * *

Before I knew it, an hour had passed. We had taken turns looking through the telescope. With the bit of knowledge I still had about astronomy, I helped point out several celestial bodies to the kid. Taking a break, the boy handed me a snack. "Man, it amazing you know so much!" Unwrapping one for himself, he took a bite into his treat. "Ow cohm yuh no soh muche?"

I flicked the boy's forehead. "Don't talk with your mouth full, it's rude."

"Ow, ow, sorry." The boy flinched.

"I learned from my dad." I told the boy. "Since Astronomy was his hobby." I took a bite into my snack as well. I thought it odd, but we had easily warmed up to each other. There was something likable about this kid's personality.

After a moment of silence the boy asked. "Hey do you think aliens exist?"

"Probably, there's no reason for them not to." I responded.

"Do you think we'll ever meet one?"

"Maybe."

After another moment of silence the kid asked "You never told me your name."

"Well you never asked."

"Yah so, I'm asking now." He said giving me a look.

"Thomas Lloyd."

"Wah?" He gave me a look. "That's not your name is it?"

"Well if you had to choose an alias, who would you be?"

The boy decided to play along. "I'd probably be John Smith."

Interesting choice.

"Wait do you hear something?" The boy quickly turned around to look in the other direction.

"Yah, I think I hear something too." It was faint, but whatever it was, I knew something was awry.

"It's coming from over there." He whispered. "I'm gonna go check it out."

"Hey, I don't think tha- wait!" Before I could stop him the boy dashed off towards the source of the mysterious sounds. Having no choice but to follow, I went after the boy through the foliage. He was quick; probably since his size allowed him to maneuver through the overgrowth with ease. As quickly and quietly as possible I caught up to the boy who had stopped in a concealed area.

"Nii-san, this doesn't look good." He said as he peered through the leaves.

Now that we were closer I could clearly make out what was going on. In front of us were five men in suits. The first man was a stocky fellow but was noticeably muscular. He had black hair that was freshly buzzed and a short haired beard. The second man next to the stocky one was bald. The bald man was of an average build. He wore a stud on his right ear and had a bleached soul patch. The third man was a very large man, both in weight and height. His face was chubby, in a way which made it look like his eyes were closed. The fourth was what you would expect an average 'delinquent' would look like. He had spiky bleached hair and plenty of 'bling'. His face had cunt spelled all over it. Lastly, the fifth man was an imposing figure with a weathered face. His charcoal pinstriped suit looked the most expensive and well maintained compared to the others. Out of the group, the weathered man and the large man, were each man-handling a kid. A boy and a girl; by the look of things, they were probably the same age as 'John'.

"Let go of me you pig-headed jerk!" the boy protested.

"Boss, you sure this is a good idea?" said the large man who was holding the boy.

"Shut it Fujimura." said the man who was holding the girl. Apparently he was the leader of the group.

"But they're just kids!"

"It's not like this was my idea Fujimura! Just stop asking questions and do as you are told!" The leader of the group yelled at the large man. "And get that little shit to SHUT UP!"

"Yes Boss!"

"Azuma go get the car." The leader pointed at spiky haired man.

"I said LET GO OF ME!"

"OW, HE BIT ME!" the large man cried.

"LET GO OF MY COUSIN DICK-HEAD." The boy ran at the 'Boss'.

In a single sidestep the 'Boss' tripped and knocked out the boy with a blow to the head.

"Hayato, NO!" the girl screamed.

Wait, _Hayato?_

"Fujimura you incompetent bastard, can't you do anything right for once?"

"But he bit me!"

'John' tugged at my sleeve. "We need to do something. They need our hel-."

Suddenly the one called Azuma appeared in front of where we were hiding. "I thought I eard something, Boss, we'v got company!" the man said as he went in to reach for 'John'. Without thinking I reacted and grabbed the man's wrist before he reached John, apparently he hadn't noticed me as he cried out in surprise. Twisting his wrist I went in for a hard punch to his neck. I was pissed. The slug connected with a satisfying and meaty impact. Recoiling back I went in for a second strike to his head. Grabbing a hold of his body I emerged from cover I threw the man into the ground as hard as I could.

"The fuck is this? Who the fuck are you?" The 'Boss' yelled. Turning to his dumbfound comrades he commanded them, "What are you guys stand'n around for! GET HIM."

The three of them charged at me, knowing that with their numbers, they could overwhelm me. Fortifying my resolve, I held my ground. There was no turning back now. The first one to close on me was the stocky man. Catching him off balance I gripped around his neck and used his momentum to bring him down. Now in the crouching position I proceeded to go for the bald man. Grabbing ahold of his legs I tossed Baldy over me with ease. Switching to the third man, the large one called Fujimura; I went for a solid jab to the jugular. Going for his legs, I managed to collapse his stance. Following up with a sweeping strike to his side with my elbow, he was on the ground in seconds.

Turning around, the stocky man was back up again. Reaching into his blazer, he took out a butterfly knife. Lunging at me I tried the best I could to avoid his attacks. Desperately I tried to counter his slashes and jabs by deflecting his arms away from me. With each attack he started to break my guard, nicking a hand or arm bit by bit. By the tenth or twelfth strike I felt an odd sensation in the palm of my hand. Briefly glancing over to my left, I noticed that my opponent's blade had pierced through my hand. Somehow unfazed by the fact that my palm had been skewered, I broke his hold on the blade. Pulling the blade out, I pushed him away. Taking a single step forward I finished him with a roundhouse.

"Nii-san, behind you!" John called out.

Something hard hit me on my right side, knocking the wind out of me. A second blow to my right leg knocked me down onto a knee, I gasped for breath. Putting all of his weight into the third swing, Baldy swung his metal bludgeon towards my head. At the last moment I rolled out of the way. With a loud clang the bludgeon bounced off of the concrete. Drawing back for a fourth swing Baldy was practically over me. Counter reacting instinctively, I shot my right hand out to catch the bludgeon. Stopping Baldy mid-swing I ripped the bludgeon from his arm. With full force I took the bludgeon and knocked out his legs and threw him off of me. Getting back onto my feet I made sure to knock Baldy out of the fight.

With a clatter, I let the bludgeon fall to my feet. For a moment I was able to catch my breath. Fujimura stayed on the ground, feeling that it was probably a good idea not to fight. My left hand felt numb and wet. I didn't want to look.

"The hell are you doing Fujimura? You useless shit!" The Boss looked infuriated. "He's hardly standing for gods' sake!"

"Let go of the girl." I demanded.

"What makes you think you can tell me shit?"

"You don't have to do this. This isn't right." I stepped forward.

"Don't even _think_ of making a move on me or _she's_ going to get it." The Boss drew a knife on the young girl's neck.

_He wouldn't dare._

I started to calmly walk towards them.

"I'm warning you! Back the fuck off!"

_What kind of person would harm a child?_

"YOU DON'T THINK I'M SERIOUS DO YOU?"

I continued to approach them.

_What kind of a person would even consider taking an innocent life?_

His blade slightly bit into the girl's neck, drawing small pearls of blood. "THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING-"

_Where are your senses? _

"YOU-"

_Where is your sanity?_

"PIECE-"

_Where is your judgment?_

"OF-"

_Where is your humanity?_

"SHIT!"

* * *

"If we cuts through this ways, we shoulds be home in a pinch!"

"You've been sayings that for the past half-hours. And how are you even running in that Kimono anyways?" My cousin said, clearly frustrated.

"Why are you complaining? Wasn't this more fun than staying with the family?"

"Yah, but that was whens we were back at the festival."

"C'mon don't you like adventures? It's not like we're losts or anything. I know where I'm goings!"

"At least waits for me!" Hayato complained.

"Then catch me if you can!" I teased him.

"For cryings out loud, waait!" Hayato chased after me.

That night had been really fun. The weather had been perfect and the festival had been amazing. The decorations really had taken my breath away. I just wish I didn't have school tomorrow!

"Hayato, you slow-poke, hurrys up!" I called back. "Or else I'm gonna leave yah I the du-" Suddenly I ran into something while I wasn't paying attention. "Ooof!"

"You should watch were you are going little lady." The tall, ruff-faced man said to me. "You could hurt yourself if you're not careful."

I carefully backed away, the tone of his voice and overall appearance was betraying.

"Makoto, there you ares, wha- who's that?"

The ruff-faced man grabbed me violently and locked me into a hold. "I've got the girl, get the boy."

Out of the shadows four other men appeared and started to go after my cousin. "Hayato RUN!" I screamed in a panic.

The ruff-faced man covered my mouth. "Shut it brat!" he spat.

Before he could react Hayato was quickly mobbed by the four other men. "What the hell did we do? What do you want from- LET GO OF ME!" my cousin tried to resist by scratching, kicking, clawing, anything he could do.

I instantly regretted coming through the park. I was terrified. What had we done? What did they want from us?

"Let go of me you pig-headed jerk!" Hayato cried out.

"Boss, you sure this is a good idea?" said the large man that had captured my cousin.

"Shut it Fujimura." the ruff-faced man said.

"But they're just kids!"

"It's not like this was my idea Fujimura! Just stop asking questions and do as you are told! And get that little shit to SHUT UP!"

"Yes Boss!"

"Azuma go get the car." he tightened his hold on me. "Don't worry your little head young lady. I'm going to make sure I take care of you tonight." He whispered into my ear. Shaking uncontrollably, I was paralyzed with fear.

Hayato was wide eyed and infuriated. "I said LET GO OF ME!" He screamed.

"OW, HE BIT ME!" the large man cried.

"LET GO OF MY COUSIN DICK-HEAD." Hayato dashed towards me.

The ruff-faced man turned and dragged me as he moved. With one step he tripped and knocked out Hayato with a blow to the head.

"Hayato, NO!" This can't be happening!

"Fujimura you incompetent bastard, can't you do anything right for once?"

I started to cry.

"But he bit me!"

"Boss, we'v got company!" The spiky-haired man called out. Looking over to where he was I saw him reaching into the hedges. Then, without warning, I saw him disappear, followed by a few audible cries. Soon after, a young man burst from the hedge carrying the spiky-haired man through the air. With a loud thud, the young man had thrown spiky onto the ground. The rest of the gang was shocked.

"The fuck is this? Who the fuck are you?" Ruff-face yelled. "What are you guys stand'n around for! GET HIM."

As the three thugs charged the young man, he simply stood his ground. Readying himself, I saw the young man get into a horse stance. As the first thug closed in on him, he transitioned into a bow-stance and went on the offensive. Grabbing ahold of the first man he tossed him aside and went straight for the second, throwing him over his shoulder. Moving to the third he struck with a lightning snap-kick to the jugular. Collapsing the thug's legs, the young man took him out of the fight.

The first thug he had thrown was back up and had taken out a knife. He charged aggressively, slashing and thrusting his knife at the young man. The young man was quick in his defense, warding off attacks that an average person would have easily fallen victim to. However it seemed that he was struggling. I could see small cuts begin to appear here and there. After a sustained bout the thug had broken through the young man's guard. He had pierced his hand! Crimson rolled down his arm, yet he seemed completely unfazed. Breaking the thug's hold on the knife he pushed him away with a solid punch. Without flinching, he took the blade out of his hand and threw it aside. Stepping forward he finished the thug off with a roundhouse kick.

I was awestruck, what I was seeing was like from out of a movie.

"Nii-san, behind you!" I saw a boy emerge from the hedge.

To my horror the second thug had snuck behind the young man. The thug began to ruthlessly club away at him, bringing him to his knees. As the third swing was about to make contact, the young man had managed to roll away. The thug's club bounced with a loud ping. Winding up for a fourth swing the thug brought the club high above his head. With his full force behind him, the thug went in for a bone crushing blow. However to my utter amazement the young man had caught the club! I couldn't believe it! With that amount of force his hand should have shattered…

The crumpled club clattered to the young man's feet. It looked like it had just been made out of clay.

"The hell are you doing Fujimura? You useless shit, he's hardly standing for gods' sake!"

"Let go of the girl." The young man demanded.

"What makes you think you can tell me shit?" The ruff-faced man tightened his grip on me.

"You don't have to do this. This isn't right."

"Don't even _think_ of making a move on me or _she's_ going to get it." I felt something cold touch my neck.

The young man started to calmly walk towards us.

"I'm warning you! Back the fuck off! YOU DON'T THINK I'M SERIOUS DO YOU?"

He continued to approach us.

I felt a stinging sensation at my throat, it felt wet. "THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

"Enough. Let her go." His voice hummed.

Something clattered to my feet as Ruff-face's hold on me loosened. Breaking away the ruff-faced man stumbled backwards. I fell forwards; my legs were too weak. But before I could hit the ground the young man had managed to catch me. I never felt more relieved in my life.

* * *

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Was _nii-san_ glowing? Some sort of power was emanating from him, like a calm wind. The evil man let go of the girl and stumbled backwards. His eyes were wide, almost like had had seen some awful monster. He moved his mouth but nothing seemed to come out. The evil man was in complete shock. I don't know what Nii-san did, but whatever it was it worked.

Nii-san caught the girl in time, gently embracing her. He had rescued the girl! I knew he could do it! I knew there was something amazing about him when I first saw him! I started to make my way to them when I noticed that the blond guy that Nii-san had taken out first was moving again. While still on the ground I saw him reach into his suit. I saw him take out a… oh crap!

"Nii-san, watch out, he's got a gun!" Without thinking I rushed for the gun.

"The fuh-? Get offa me you brat!" the blond guy said struggling to get ahold of his weapon.

"Azuma, NO! What are you doing?!" the baby-faced guy cried out.

"I SAID GET OFFA ME!" With all of his available strength the blond guy hit the side of my head. Forced off, I ended up on the ground. The world seemed to be spinning. As my vision faded to black, the last thing I heard was a sound of thunder.

Then, I woke up.

Sprawled across the floor I found myself back in my room. Springing onto my feet I quickly looked around. Everything looked normal; all of my things were where they were supposed to be. The bags that I had prepared with the telescope where in their respective spots close to the door. I must have dosed off before I had the chance to go star gazing.

My heart sank, I was relieved but greatly disappointed. He wasn't real was he? I couldn't believe it. It was just a dream….

_Hey you, do you think Aliens exist?_


End file.
